Workington 1 Stourbridge 1

Manager Gary Hackett made just one change from Tuesday night’s draw at Grantham Town, with Junior Smikle replacing Joe Hull at left back. Hull took a place on the substitute’s bench where he was joined by newly re-signed loanee George Bowerman.

With neither side wanting to lose ground to the other in the play-off race, the opening twenty minutes or so were cagey and largely incident-free. Too many passes from both sides went astray and there was nothing to trouble Matt Gould or Jon Jamieson in the respective goals, and it wasn’t until the 25th minute that Jamieson was called into action, doing well to claim a corner under challenge from Stuart Pierpoint.

That seemed to signal the end of the “phoney war” though, and within a minute the Glassboys might have been ahead. Chris Lait chipped a cross into the box, and Karl Hawley glanced a header goal-wards where Jamieson could only juggle the ball against the crossbar before collecting the rebound.

A similar header by Hawley from a Sean Geddes free kick on the half hour was more comfortable for Jamieson, but the visiting team were now having the better of things.

There was a scare, though, on 33 minutes when a through ball saw Scott Allison bear down on goal. Gould came out to kick clear, but in the meantime Allison was brought down by Dan Scarr, with referee Mr McNamara deeming the challenge worthy of a yellow card. From the ensuing free kick, close to the edge of the penalty area, Connor Tinnion floated the ball just over the bar.

However, it was from another free kick at the other end six minutes later that Stourbridge took the lead, as Geddes’s quick-thinking caught out Jamieson at his near post as the keeper edged off his line, clearly anticipating the threat from Hawley’s previous two attempts. A precious advantage to the Glassboys!

There was little further incident in what remained of the first half, but the home side came out after the break with renewed impetus, and the distinct impression of having had a flea in their collective ears, and were quickly on the attack.

Two minutes into the half, freshly-introduced substitute Gareth Arnison drove a shot well over from some distance, but it wasn’t long before Workington were level with the simplest of goals.

A corner swung over from the left was met by Jow McGee, who climbed highest at the back post to plant a firm downward header beyond Gould.

The home side came again, with Josh Calvert trying his luck from distance and again clearing Gould’s crossbar, though not be any great margin, but then Stourbridge rallied and might have been ahead again as Lait attacked the Workington defence and unleashed an effort from 20 yards that thumped full on against Jamieson’s left-hand upright and away to safety, whilst Tinnion’s shot at the other end a minute later was comfortable for Gould.

Another chance came Stourbridge’s way on 66 minutes as Hawley put the ball into the right-hand channel for Dodd to advance, but his shot didn’t quite have enough power on it and Jamieson managed to save with his right foot.

The home side would perhaps have marginally the better of the last twenty minutes, without causing as many problems as they might have liked. McGee attacked another corner, this time from the right, on 71 minutes but this time his header was some way off target, and then Tinnion put a free kick wide of Gould’s left-hand post with six minutes to play, moments after Dodd had again tested Jamieson at the other end.

The final chance fell Workington’s way, with the ball finding Tinnion in a little too much space at the far post, but he failed to catch the ball cleanly and Gould was able to make a routine stop.

The one downside right at the end of the match for the Glassboys was a head injury to Tom Tonks, who had only been on the field for a few minutes, but had to be replaced himself by Sam Whittall with seconds remaining.

Stourbridge will have wanted all three points from this crunch game, but can at least be pleased that no ground was lost to one of their direct rivals.

However, Ashton United’s late win at Barwell sees them climb above the Glassboys into fifth place, and makes this Monday’s clash between the two teams at the War Memorial Ground all the more appetising.